To move on
by Hashi-Hashi
Summary: Jack is living with memories of his abusive step mom. North is worried for jack and him and the rest of the family help him. Fatherly north, mild mentions of past child abuse, very small mention of disordered eating. AU
1. Chapter 1

North sighed as he heard Jack leaving the workshop again. The winter spirit was a wreck, he hadn't slept, eaten or pulled a prank in days. It was worrying him, as nice as it was to have his quiet workshop back, he liked his little jack and his antics.

He shared a look with sandy who shrugged back at him.

North frowned and looked towards one of the elves, "will you go and make sure that the room is all ready? I want him to be able to go straight to bed, I think it's time I went and got him."

Sandy looked at him questioningly but the Christmas guardian only held up is his hand. "Jack may be an immortal, but he's still a child! I cannot deny that,"

Bunnymund rolled his eyes. "He's an adult North. Not one of your Christmas children."

Toothiana fluttered next to him. "I don't know, he was only fourteen when he was frozen, that's pretty young."

North hummed in agreement, "I still do Christmas deliveries for kids that are sixteen! And you know what, even they need to act like a little kid sometimes." He poked bunnymund in the chest.

"All Jack needs is someone who he knows has final word on everything he does. Right now he's starting to lose the joy of being able to do what he wants with no one caring. Think about it bunnymund, there's no kid in the world who doesn't want to know that they're loved. Jack's ignored by most of the kids in the world, so how do you think he feels with no permanent home, no family and no believers like we have." North sat back and folded his arms. "And who better to be Jack's father than Father Christmas! The epitome of the winter season."

"Not in Australia your not." The bunny muttered.

North waved him off. "That's a tiny island, hush. Everyone! I have a plan!"

-/::;;::/-


	2. Chapter 2

Jack's stomach rumbled and he realised dully that he hadn't eaten again. Sighing and settling down on a frost covered rock, he watched the children all heading home after a long days playing.

In a house nearby he saw a mother brushing snow off her child and fussing over him before he came in. A sad smile crept across his face, that was once him and his sister. Settling down to warm hot chocolate and cookies...back when things were better and his father hadn't remarried.

There didn't seem to be much point to remembering all that stuff now. There was nothing important to him about caring for himself or anyone else. He was a useless guardian that no one cared or thought about. Just like he had been before he changed.

Not for the first time he entertained the idea of running away from the guardians and living by himself again.

It's not like he wou-

Two elves popped up next to him. Jack groaned, "if you're coming to tell me I've got another job you can get lost. I don't care about that stuff anymore."

The two elves looked at each other then grabbed one of jack's hands each and pulled him through a portal back to the North Pole.

-/::;;::/-

North beamed down at him and scooped him up quickly. "Jack! You almost missed dinner."

"Missed? Dinner?" His stomach reminded him roughly of how hungry he was. North chuckled and set him down on a chair.

"Yes jack, dinner. Like breakfast and lunch but dinner." Deciding to play it easy with the winter sprite he set down every child's favourite meal. Spaghetti and meatballs.

Jack played with his food, taking a mouthful only after every other guardian had. After the first mouthful he shovelled the food in, trying to fill his empty stomach.

North watched him, chuckling a little at the sight of him. "Slow down jack, you'll make yourself sick."

The silver haired boy slowed down a little. Sandy chuckled at the admonished look that jack had. Maybe north had been right, jack needed to act like a kid for a bit. Then he would be back to his usual rebellious self.

The guardians sat around the table and waited for jack to finish his plate. While the winter sprite was occupied north waggled his eyebrows at the rest of the table, celebrating the fact that he was right.

Bunnymund snorted softly, it didn't bother him the winter sprite could act like kid if he wanted.

Toothiana struggled not to swoon as jack let her pet his hair and brush off snowflakes from his hoodie.

The elves came and cleared the table. Jack's eyes drooped and his head fell forward as the fussing of toothiana and a warm meal helped sleep to catch up with him.

Bunnymund huffed, "little brat." He moved over and picked jack up, pressing him tightly against his chest. "You got somewhere for him to sleep north?"

The Russian man hummed and nodded, leading them through the passage way into a blue room, decorated with delicate snowflake paintings.

There was a bed in the centre of the room with a snow forest bedspread. Toys and books lined the shelves, each one obviously hand crafted by north himself.

The door itself had jack's name spelt out on it in painted wooden letters and there were several new hoodies and pants folded on top of the desk, still needing to be put away in their draws.  
Bunnymund stared incredulously, "you have a room set up for him?"

Waving his hand in the air again, north tried to shrug it off as nothing. "That's just a little something the elves threw together, to make him feel more at home."

Tooth giggled, she could tell that this room wasn't just a throw together. Each detail was perfect for jack, from the bedspread that looked like his favourite place to play to the toys that matched the exact ones that jack always stole to play with.

"Yeah right you just threw this together. Admit it, you wanted him to stay here a long time ago." Bunnymund gave north a knowing look who raised his hands in defeat.

Sandy chuckled and sprinkled sand over jack, sending him dreams of dolphins, which he knew the boy loved.

North pushed them all out of the room. "Come on, come on, out! Let my boy sleep, let him sleep."  
-/::;;::/-

an: thank you for all the gorgeous reviews and favourites. I'm a bit depressed atm, so it really helps get the writing done and don't forget my tumblr hashi-hashi .tumblr. com xx hashi


	3. Chapter 3

**An: okay, so I had actually written everything out for this story, and then it got lost in the transferal between my ipad and my new laptop. That means that now I have to reconstruct the chapters from scratch. A little lame =.= **

**Enjoy reading – BTW I own nothing…but if you wanna make a move series and use my plot lines…THEN PLEASE DO! Take them! Take them all! *shoves them into the filmmakers hands***

The guardians all crowded around the kitchen over cookies and a hot chocolate. "Alright so Jack is asleep in his room, but we've still got some problems to deal with. Jack wouldn't have let himself get this way unless something was wrong. What could be wrong with our child spirit?"

Tooth sighed and swirled a delicate finger in her sugar free hot chocolate. "I don't know, my poor, little, sweet tooth. How is it that he has become so sad without any of us knowing? I feel so bad, I should have realised something!" She sighed and flicked some of the chocolate at sandy. Sandy stuck a golden tongue out in response.

Glaring at the bickering pair Bunny pushed the plate of cookies away from himself. "The kid seems to have avoided food for a significant amount of time. If the way that he shovelled food into his mouth last night was anything to go by I'd say that he even knew that he was hungry."

Sandy made an image of Jack eating then a sad face.

"What do you mean Sandy?" North frowned at the dream spirit.

"He means that sweet tooth wasn't happy after last night. Right after he ate…he seemed to be guilty. But I don't know why he would feel guilty, no one said anything to him did they?" Tooth gave Bunny a pointed look.

The easter bunny looked offended. "Hey! Come on, even I'm not mean enough to tease the kid when he looked that depressed. Besides he's probably just sick from not eating that much often. The whole thing is nothing to worry about."

North cringed. "Perhaps we should be worried about something."

A question mark formed over Sandy's head. North pulled out three yellowed letters written in the childish scrawl that they all recognized as Jack's.

"Jack used to write letters to you? Shesh that makes you old. Wait we already knew that." Bunny smirked knowing that it annoyed North to be called old.

"Yes. I been around for long time. That is why I have the better holiday." Everyone but Bunny sniggered at North's comeback.

"Whatever. What's so important about the Brat's letters anyway?" Bunny shifted the subject quickly.

"What he wrote in them. Phil brought them to me a few hours ago, I thought he was just asking where to archive them. But then I started reading them…I never had before you see, because Jack was always on the naughty list. Naughty children get coal not presents otherwise they stay naughty!"

Bunny rolled his eyes, "yeah and three hundred years later Jack is still on the nau- wait what. You never once brought him a present? Mate, even I left eggs for the kid to find."

"Jack is naughty child…but perhaps not as bad as we think. Read." North handed out the letters. Tooth read hers aloud, eyes widening as she read more.

"Dear Santa,

Fake-mommy sed that you were all fake. But I don't think you are. So plese if you're really real can you get fake mommy to stop being so mad. She yells even at daddy sometimes. She sed me and pippa eat to much and food is very espensive. Maybe you culd bring some food wen you come see us so fake mommy doesn't get all angry. But plese don't tell fake mommy I sed this to you becose she might get all mad agen."

Tooth blinked. "I don't think he told baby tooth that he saw this in his memories."

Symbols formed above Sandy's head "! #$# #"

North rolled his eyes. "No need for those words sandy. Jack is fine no lasting damage, even so. It's not that bad. Mother gets angry…Jack must just hold memories of the famine, he feels guilty eating that is all."

"North he mentions this in every letter. Some even mention 'the belt.' Not a belt. 'the belt.' Like it's something worse than a normal belt. Whether Jack remembers these directly or not something has made him worse recently." Bunny poured over the three letters, cringing as his overactive mind came up with horrible scenarios with the little guardian ending up in worse positions then the last.

"Well either way, he needs some caring. Just like a normal child would. Maybe we'll figure out what happened over time." Tooth took a final sip of her hot chocolate already gather her girls to go collect everything that Jack would need.

"He will stay with me." North smiled and poured more hot chocolate for everyone.

"I don't think so. You didn't even read these letters for 300 years! What if something worse had happened to jack, you wouldn't even know!" Bunny glared and took the jug away from North.

"Both of you couldn't take care of jack! He needs love and care, not competition like you two insist on!" Tooth took the jug away from the both of them. Rolling her eyes at the spilt mess all over the kitchen and used an elf hat to clean up the mess.

Sandy stole the hat and shook the bell frantically pointing behind them at the opening door. The four of them knew it was jack, by the light dusting of frost the flowered around the doorhandle.

The sleepy white haired spirit stumbled into the room, rubbing one arm tiredly over his eyes. North stood up easily dwarfing Jack and scooped the spirit out of the way of the bumbling yeti's feet.

Too tired to do anything but let himself be carried around Jack turned his head into North's warm coat. He was oblivious to the looks that the four guardians were giving him. " 'heard arguing."

"Arguing? Don't know why we would have been arguing." North sat down with Jack, well used to his incoherent sleepy state since Jack stayed a few days at Santoff clausen during the pitch incident.

"Don't lie to the kid!" Bunny glared, annoyed at North.

"Well Aster what do you suggest I say?" North glared back just as angry.

"You two were fighting…what about?"

"Who you should stay with." Tooth bit her bottom lip, all of a sudden she felt guilty for talking about Jack when he wasn't there.

That got Jack awake and scrambling out of North's arms. "I live on my lake at burgress."

"A lake isn't a home and fourteen isn't an age to be living alone." North reached for jack whose eyes were already scanning for an open window or door.

"I'm 318 years old. Don't tell me I can't live alone. Especially not when you left me alone for three hundred and seventeen years!"

"Don't you dare test me Jack Frost! You hadn't eaten for three weeks until last night, you don't sleep unless I put you to bed here. The snow you make melts in an hour if it lasts at all. Only the coldest countries get it and you're not pulling your usual tricks. I know there is something wrong, you either agree that there is and we talk it over or you stay here until I say that you can go."

Everyone stared in shock at North Claus. None of them had heard that tone of voice before, they'd heard him reprimanding Jack for pranks but never had they heard him sounding this fatherly. But Jack seemed to respond to it, his head hung and his staff crossed over his body protectively.

North didn't relax, ignoring the other guardians and their disputes while he sorted Jack out. "Make a decision or I'll make it for you. Count of three, all time you have. One…two,"

Jack had no doubts that North would make the decision and it would end up with some consequences that he didn't like. "Fine! Fine! I'll tell you."

The guardians suddenly got the hint that it was time to leave North and Jack alone. Clearly when they hadn't noticed the two of them had developed a father son relationship that wasn't to be messed with.

North sighed and sat down. "Sit down Jack, the belly tells me that this isn't to be done standing."

"Yeah…" Jack looked up meeting North's eyes with a pleading look before quickly flicking them back down to the floor.

North could tell from the brief glance what Jack wanted. He opened his arms and pulled Jack into them, wrapping him up in a warm cocoon of an embrace. "Alright. You take time telling me the story, it's all okay."

Jack nodded and played the scabbards hanging off North's shoulders. "I was just having some flashbacks. You know of things that had happened to me in my past."

"Tell me more about those things Jack. Otherwise I can't help you with them and that's what I'm here to do. To help you."

"Like I help Jaime?" Jack's voice had taken on a childish note and North was struggling not to see him as the son that he'd always wanted.

"Yes. Like you help Jaime."

"…mnnn well…I remember not very nice things. Things that make me not want to make snow or play games." He pulled up his jacket and showed crisscrossing scars.

North gasped and pulled the jumper back down, pulling Jack into his chest tightly and rocking him back and forth.

**An: Well damn, review please. Hopefully with some comments on where you would like to see this story go because I explored one plot line already and I can't write the same thing twice unfortunately. **

**Hope you like it, if you did please visit my tumblr (Hashi-hashi .tumblr. com)) just remove the brackets and spaces. My ask box is open so please request or start and rp **

_Love you all Hashi. _


	4. Chapter 4

A place to stay

North had held Jack through the night, just rocking him slowly back and forth until he fell asleep. He had barely noticed the change in the winter sprite's breathing; it was only when a limp hand had released its grasp on his jacket that he picked up on Jack being asleep. He stood up slowly, cradling Jack against him still, making his rounds around the workshop.

All the yetis turned around slowly, looking like creatures from '_where the wild things are' _and peered down at the sleeping child. It was so unusual for them to see Jack asleep they all couldn't help but crowd around and murmur to each other in their yeti language. North let Phil shoo the others away and give him a light pet on the head.

Even the elves had a little peep at sleeping Jack, squealing to each other in their little elf language. "Squeee! Ding-dong, naga naga!" The little elf that had perched itself on North's shoulder jabbered away, before north shushed him and knocked him to the ground trying to keep Jack asleep.

The child remained asleep through the whole tour of the workshop, which north was a little happy about, sleep deprivation made seasonal spirits grumpy. He'd learnt that when he went to see Fall after Pitch had been defeated. He'd been lucky to escape with his life.

Stroking the frost stiffened white hair North let his instincts take him to Jack's room. The window was wide open.

"Ah, hello wind. You wanted to see the little sprite?" North laid Jack on the window sill watching as he was lifted up and turned by the strength of the wind. The bringer of frost had a strange connection with the wind. Even sandy who was greatly respected even by grumpy southern wind, could not play with it like Jack could. He watched the boy relax in the arms of his ghostly friend and smiled comfortingly.

"He will be okay. Work to make things better. Then he can go and play with you again." The wind hummed approvingly. It had worried for Jack; North could feel it's worry even now.

"Jack needs to be with guardian. You take very good care of Jack, but he needs…" North paused not wanting to offend the wind. "He needs bigger family." North grinned, hoping he expressed everything right. He outstretched his hands reaching for Jack to be given back to him.

The wind wrapped itself around Jack one more time, before ruffling the white hair and returning him to North, whispering its wishes into the magical ears of Santa as it brought Jack to him.

North chuckled. "Yes, window is left open. You can come see Jack, but not take away! He must stay here to get better."

The wind hummed happily and North took his leave, noticing that Jack was starting to stir. He walked to his office and sat Jack down in a squishy arm chair to let him wake up on his own. North started filing his own paperwork, sighing as he started the tedious process of listing newborns for the Naughty and Nice list: height, weight, birthdate, preferences.

Every once in a while he would look up and smile at Jack who was curled up on the chair, eyes glazed over and spreading frost flowers in his sleepy haze.

Eventually the frost child pushed himself up into a standing position and stumbled across to North. He stood next to the large man for a moment, unsure of what to say, but North was a man of wonder and knew anyway. He reached up and pulled Jack down onto his lap, barely noticing the cold through his multiple thick layers of clothing.

Pushing the rest of the files away for when Jack was asleep North stood up and motioned for Jack to follow him "How about some breakfast?"

"Uh, I'm good actually; dinner last night was enough for me." Jack returned to his usual frosty demeanour at the mention of food. His mind had been churning for most of the night with the thoughts of how annoyed North would be with him for eating so much. He didn't want to make North throw him out, so he'd just say he wasn't hungry until it was safe for him to eat again.

The burly man stopped and turned his face full of disappointment. "Jack, you have one small plate of dinner last night. Most have two large. Yetis are very good at cooking, you enjoy. Come, need to eat more."

Jack's brain started to race was North mad at him. Did he think Jack ate all the time? Should he lie and tell him North didn't like eating? Was North going to be upset with him if he continued to lie?

The guardian of wonder could see the panicked look on his face. Sighing he took the sprite by the hand. "It's okay Jack." He sat him down on a stool and made sure they were eye level. "I am going to take care of you. Not like when you were a human, now you are most important. I am guardian of child, meaning you will be special child no?"

The child of frost smiled hesitantly, dare he think that North was telling the truth. He'd been abandoned by his creator three hundred years ago why were such good things happening to him now. He sniffled and turned his head clearing his throat trying to get rid of the painful prickling in the back of his eyes.

North stroked Jack's back and comforted him as he started to cry. "We work through things slowly. But first you must understand. I raised to believe parents love the child, meaning they are there to protect and love. Doesn't mean you get away with doing wrong thing. But means you don't have to worry or stress. That's my job." He smiled a little at Jack whose eyes had widened at the thought.

"You'd really care that much for me?" He looked straight at the guardian, his thin fingers clutching desperately at the fur of his coat hoping dearly for the answer he had been hoping for.

Looking straight back at him North nodded, taking the two cold hands in his own. "You were alone for far too long. But we will fix that. Everything is okay after this. You not need to worry."

For the second time that week Jack broke down and cried into North's coat. The guardian sat there and held him again, knowing slowly Jack was moving on.


End file.
